{"id":12230,"date":"2026-05-13T08:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T08:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wnp.com.pk\/?p=12230"},"modified":"2026-05-13T08:49:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T08:49:00","slug":"naz-shah-makes-history-as-first-muslim-mp-to-move-loyal-address-hails-bradford-britains-democratic-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/naz-shah-makes-history-as-first-muslim-mp-to-move-loyal-address-hails-bradford-britains-democratic-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Naz Shah makes history as first Muslim MP to move Loyal Address, hails Bradford, Britain\u2019s democratic strength"},"content":{"rendered":"

LONDON, Thursday, May 13, 2026<\/strong> (WNP):<\/strong> Labour MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, described it as \u201cthe honour of my life\u201d after becoming the first Muslim Member of Parliament to move the Loyal Address in the House of Commons during the State Opening of Parliament.<\/p>\n

Speaking before MPs, she said the moment belonged to the people of Bradford West, crediting their trust and confidence for what she called an \u201copportunity of a lifetime\u201d and a privilege owed to both her constituency and Britain.<\/p>\n

Formally moving the Address of Thanks to His Majesty\u2019s Gracious Speech, Shah also reflected on the King\u2019s recent state visit to the United States, praising its diplomatic tone and symbolic gestures, including trade-related outcomes such as reduced barriers on Scotch whisky.<\/p>\n

She highlighted Bradford\u2019s parliamentary and social legacy, recalling that her constituency had last moved the Loyal Address in 1959, and described her appointment as a historic milestone, being the first Muslim MP to perform the role.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In an extensive address, Shah spoke about her personal journey from poverty and hardship to Parliament, stating that Britain\u2019s democratic system made her achievement possible in a way she believed unlikely elsewhere.<\/p>\n

She used the occasion to underscore key national and international priorities, including the cost-of-living crisis, global instability, conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, and wider geopolitical tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz and beyond.<\/p>\n

Emphasising defence and foreign policy, she praised the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, expressed admiration for UK service personnel, and reiterated the importance of international trade and economic cooperation, citing her role as trade envoy for ASEAN and Indonesia.<\/p>\n

Shah also referenced her work on parliamentary committees, stressing the value of cross-party cooperation on sensitive legislative matters.<\/p>\n

Paying tribute to Bradford West, she highlighted its cultural diversity, industrial history, and contributions to British politics, literature, and public life, including figures such as Barbara Castle and David Hockney.<\/p>\n

She described Bradford as a \u201ccity of wonders\u201d and \u201cyoungest city in the UK,\u201d noting its entrepreneurial spirit, cultural festivals, and ongoing infrastructure investment, including transport and healthcare projects.<\/p>\n

Concluding her remarks, Shah stressed the importance of unity, tolerance, and democratic responsibility, warning against rising extremism and divisive politics. She called for protection of all places of worship and stronger social cohesion in an increasingly polarised world.<\/p>\n

She said her journey symbolised the strength of British democracy, adding that she intended to dedicate her parliamentary service to \u201creturning the favour\u201d to her constituency and country.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LONDON, Thursday, May 13, 2026 (WNP): Labour MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, described it as \u201cthe honour of my life\u201d after becoming the first Muslim Member of Parliament to move the Loyal Address in the House of Commons during the State Opening of Parliament. Speaking before MPs, she said the moment belonged to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12230\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}